Kashi-The Eternal City

                   Kashi-The Eternal City.

To Understand even a bit about kashi- Both the Historical and Spiritual contexts needs to be known. Then it will make some sense. 
Knowing the historical context of Kashi becomes primary.
  
Part One:
			The invasions and Revival of Kashi

Year:1033: Mahmud Ghazni's son attacked Kashi and looted it.Left City within a few days.
Year:1156: King Chandradeva sets up temple for Adi Keshava at kashi.
Year 1194: Muhammad Ghori attacked Kashi. Nearly 1000 temples were destroyed. The Gold/Silver/jewels that he looted was so much that, he used nearly 1400 camels to carry it back home.
Year 1212: Bengal king Visvarupa recaptured Kashi from Ghori rule and named it "Kshetra of Visveshwara"
Year 1376: Firoz Tughlaq demolished Atala devi temple to build Atala Mosque at Jaunpur.
Year 1496: Sikander Lodhi ordered destruction of all temples at Kashi.The Residents of Kashi realised that, there was no point building new temples, if they were going to be demolished again. So the scholars fled to the south,as they had protection there.Kashi was to remain in ruins for next 50 years.
year 1530: Kashi started Flourishing again. Scholars started coming back from the south.
Year 1585: Akbar ascended Mughal throne. His minister Raja Thodarmal and Man Singh build two grand temples- Bindu Madhava and Visveswara.
Year 1669: Aurangazeb did the worst attack on Kashi. Visveswara temple was destroyed and Gyanvapi Mosque built over it. Dharahara Mosque was built over Bindu Madhava temple . Alamgiri Mosque was built over Krittivasesvara Temple. 
Its said that, one of the reasons Aurangazeb hated Kashi was because his Brother Dara Shikoh studied sankrit at Varanasi, whom he killed to ascend the Throne.
Legend says- Shivaji's Mother was distressed on hearing the demolotion of Visveshawara Temple and History changed .
Year 1725: Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao 1 built the present day Annapurneshwari temple.
Year 1777: Ahilya Bai Holkar Built a small temple next to the Gyanvapi Mosque- which is the present day Kashi Vishwanath Temple- as you all know. It was due to her efforts that, we see a Kashi Vishwanath temple today . Interestingly, the linga is placed in a corner of the Sanctum sanctorium and not in the centre- perhaps indicating that- this temple was just a transition. The Final Aim bieng establishing the Linga back in the original Visveshawara temple.
Year 1835: Maharaja Ranjit Singh Donates the Golden Dome -which you see today on the Vishwanath temple.

The Kashi Vishwanath corridor project is one of the steps to restablish the Glory of Kashi.


According to Kashi-Khanda- the so called Directory of Kashi mentions 1099 temples, nearly 300 Tirtha skethra( places to have a holy Dip), though how many among them still remain is not yet clear.


10th Century Kardameshwar Temple is probably the only "temple complex" dating from pre-Islamic invasions. Note that -I am talking about Temple complex, not temple. Temple complex has much more than just a temple.


Second part:

			The spiritual dimension of Kashi. 

A personal understanding of Kashi-the way I see it.
If you find many aspects incorrect or against your understanding of Kashi- it would not be wrong.
Unlike the first part, where there were historical references for cross-checking. This will be more like a “Walk in the forest”...Entering unknown territories.Most of my words will be drawn heavily from my Guru.

All of you have heard of Kashi, atleast in passing. So, whats Kashi?
The word “Kashi” literally means “to be luminous”- a tower of light.It was a Place where people went to get enlightened., a place where people went to attain Moksha, a place where people went to live thier last moments of thier lives. 
You went to kashi ,not for God, not for Material benifits or anything else. You went there simply, because you wanted Moksha/Mukthi/Liberation. That was the highest Goal in this land.

Reasons bieng many.
1. Civilizational Memory: It manifests itself in our day to day conversations. Over the centuries-the idea has lived over the generations,that,it becomes part of our daily life. 
One example: In our GSB weddings- there is a Ritual, where the groom wants to go Kashi because he wants to pursue his spiritual growth. Then the Father of the Bride tells him to stay back, promises him to give his daughter etc. I myself went through the process. It was funny at that time. But if you think about it- why should Kashi which is so far away from our place be incorporated in a ritual like wedding? 
This is where the “civilizational memory “ comes in. It indicates that, over the generations- the thought was that, you go to kashi for spiritual growth.

2. Geometrical/Cosmic  Dimension: Kashi is not only about the Vishwanath Temple. That is only the core. The City was originally built like a Yantra . Whats a Yantra? The literal meaning of Yantra is “machine”. Something that works. 
If you have read a little bit of yoga- you would have heard ,a human bieng has 72,000 nadis( Nadis are energy paths in the body).
Well, Kashi had 72,000 deities built around it-acting like a Yantra.
The thought was- Even a common man with No knowledge of any scripts- could walk around these yantras and still get Benifitted by it.
You didnt have to believe in anything, you just had to be in the space and receptive. Rest will be taken care by the Yantra system of Kashi.

Kashi is also known as a seven layered city. Because of the location of the variuos temples in seven concentric circles going right upto 100 kms from the core.Those seven layers were meant to cater to the seven major chakras in the human body.
There is nice book about this by Rana P.B. Singh-”Cosmic Layout of the Hindu Sacred City, Varanasi (Benares)”

There is something called Panchakroshi Yatra. Basically a Tour by foot , visiting around 108  Temples( belonging to all kinds of Gods/Godesses in a particular sequence. This tour would essentially touch all the major spots of the Yantra. Ofcourse that would take time. But then, thats why people went there.

How Old is Kashi?
Frankly nobody knows. Mark Twain who visited Kashi said- its older than history and  older than legends.
Kashi is mentioned in the Rig Veda. Rig Veda is dated easily 15,000 to 20,000 year old.
So many Additions and modifications must have taken place over the place over the centuries. But the city still lives today.

Was Kashi only for the Hindus?
1.Guru Nanak-Founder of Sikh Sampradya( Tradition) visited Kashi in 1506. Infact ,the present Golden Dome on the Vishwanath Temple was donated by Maharaja Ranjith Sigh of the Sikh Dynasty.
2.Gautama Buddha gave his first ever Sermon at Saranath-near to Kashi.
3. At least four of the 24 Jain thrithankars were born in Kashi.

In this Land-we have many spiritual places- Kashi ranks right up there.

However if you are totally out of time-the least you should do in Kashi is -witness the “Ganga aarthi” and the “Sathparishi Pooja” ( Ofcourse after a Dip in the Ganga)